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Kitesurfer at Costa da Fragata, Santa Maria (Kite Beach)Photo by Franzfoto, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Country

Cape Verde

Cape Verde splits its ten spots across two islands with different characters: Sal is compact and resort-built, Kite Beach handling cross-onshore lessons while Ponta Preta's reef point delivers fast, hollow right-handers near Santa Maria.

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Boa Vista is wilder, from Sal Rei's Estoril beach strip to remote, guide-only Ervatão and the deserted Curral Velho coast.

NE trade winds run steady November through May across both islands, with water ranging from flat and choppy inside to real reef waves outside. It suits beginners parked at a resort break as much as wave riders willing to drive dune tracks for an empty peak.

SeasonNovember to Junesomewhere in the country
How we count
Beginners
where a spot record says a beginner can ride; the Beginners page also asks for a school there, so it lists fewer
Best forWaves4

When to go

month by month, from the towns' own wind series

  1. Jan, no figure—
  2. Feb, no figure—
  3. Mar, no figure—
  4. Apr, no figure—
  5. May, no figure—
  6. Jun, no figure—
  7. Jul, no figure—
  8. Aug, no figure—
  9. Sep, no figure—
  10. Oct, no figure—
  11. Nov, no figure—
  12. Dec, no figure—

The windiest town in season each month: its share of windy days

Nothing has been measured or modelled for this place: twelve months and no figure in any of them.

No place here is in season in July, August, September and October, so those months carry no figure rather than a zero.

Which place is yours

Grouped by region, the most spots first

How this list is ordered

The places are in the order of how many spots each place holds. None of them carries a wind score: the atlas scores wind reliability one spot at a time, against a named weather station and the distance to it, and a place that groups several spots has no single station to stand behind one number.For wind by month, see When to go above.

Boa Vista

Ervatão, Boa Vista2 spots · 1 school · November to Mayadvanced quiet 4x4 needed gear rental mid-range Sal Rei, Boa Vista Established2 spots · 4 schools · November to Maybeginner-friendly buzzing scene no car needed gear rental mid-range Praia de Chaves, Boa Vista1 spot · November to Maybeginner-friendly buzzing scene

Sal

Santa Maria, Sal World-class5 spots · 11 schools · November to Junewaves beginner-friendly buzzing scene no car needed gear rental mid-range

By region

The country's regions, the most spots first

Boa Vista5 spots · 3 placesSal5 spots · 1 place

Best for

Pages that pick the places in Cape Verde for one kind of riding

Waves in Cape Verde4 places

Destinations

All 4 places, by name

Every place in the lists above, by name only, in the order the country guide keeps them.

Ervatão, Boa VistaPraia de Chaves, Boa VistaSal Rei, Boa VistaSanta Maria, Sal

Visa & entry

EU passportVisa-free for stays up to 30 days; must complete the online EASE (Electronic Travel Authorization) at least 5 days before travel; passport stamped on arrival
US passportNot covered by the EU/UK/EFTA visa-free rule; visa on arrival with border police, 30-day tourist visa costing 2,756-3,300 CVE (~EUR 25-30, 2025 figures)
UK passportSame as EU passport holders: visa-free up to 30 days, EASE pre-registration required
Entry or eco taxesMandatory Airport Security Tax (TSA) of 3,400 CVE for all non-resident visitors, applies regardless of visa-free/visa-required status
NotesPassport must be valid 6+ months from arrival date for all nationalities. EASE replaced the old visa requirement for EU/EFTA/UK travelers; it is unclear whether US citizens must also complete EASE in addition to paying the on-arrival visa fee.

Money

CurrencyCape Verdean Escudo (CVE), pegged to the Euro at 110.265 CVE = 1 EUR
Card acceptanceVisa/Mastercard widely accepted at hotels and tourist-oriented restaurants on Sal and Boa Vista; markets, taxis and small local establishments are cash-only; Euros are widely accepted alongside CVE in the Sal/Boa Vista tourist zones
ATMs and feesATMs concentrated on Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago and São Vicente; smaller islands need cash carried in. Multiple trip reports note ATMs around Sal Rei (Boa Vista) can run out of cash for up to 24 hours at a time - carry backup cash/cards.

SIM & internet

Operators, best coast coverage first
  • Unitel T+ (T-Mais)
  • CV Móvel (also branded 'Alou')
eSIM options
  • Third-party travel eSIMs (Airalo, Saily, etc.) from under USD 5 for a short stay
NotesUnitel T+ does not offer eSIMs even to postpaid customers, so a physical local SIM or a third-party travel eSIM are the main options. Sal, Boa Vista, São Vicente and Santiago (the main tourist/kite islands) have reliable 4G coverage.

Health

VaccinesRoutine vaccines; Hepatitis A recommended for unvaccinated travelers 1+ years old; Hepatitis B recommended for unvaccinated travelers; yellow fever vaccine NOT recommended for direct travel from the US/UK/EU (only required if arriving from a yellow-fever-endemic country)
Mosquito-borne diseasesNo malaria risk identified in CDC guidance for Cape Verde (no antimalarials discussed). Dengue and Zika are listed as mosquito-borne risks present; general bite prevention (20%+ DEET) advised.
Tap waterNot explicitly confirmed as safe; CDC flags a current health alert of increased Shigella infections (food/waterborne) in travelers returning from Santa Maria and Boa Vista - bottled water and careful food hygiene recommended
Emergency numbersPolice 132, Fire 131, Ambulance 130.

Calendar & costs

Beer295 CVE
Meal550 CVE, inexpensive restaurant meal
Coffee234.43 CVE, regular cappuccino
One-bedroom rent, per month24,600 CVE, 1BR outside city centre
CurrencyCVESee Money
Year2026

Kite bag rules for your airline

Flying into Cape Verde

Type the carrier you are flying: what it charges for a kite bag, and the year of the policy that says so.

Checked so far for Cape Verde:Cabo Verde Airlines (TACV)TAP Air Portugal

Every carrier, with limits and what riders report at the counter →

Still being checked

We have not verified these yet — tell us if you know.

Show the 4 open questions
  • Whether US passport holders must also complete the EASE electronic authorization in addition to the on-arrival visa fee is unclear from sources gathered.
  • Does Cape Verde run a digital nomad visa?
  • What are Cape Verde's driving rules, how are kites and drones regulated, what is the tipping norm, and is there an instant-payment app?
  • ATM fees and withdrawal limits not quantified.

Not written yet

Nothing has been written about Insurance, Driving and Regulation for Cape Verde yet, so there is no section for them above. That is a gap in what we hold, not a sign that there is nothing to know.

Last updated September 2026